Display table



Nov. 1, 1932.- F. R. CHESTER 1,885,801

' DISPLAY TABLE Filed Jan. 20, 1927 3 Sheecs-Slxeec l 3 44 43 .25 38 f}};'} -39 1mm INVENTOR. 4 m

7 WTTORNEYS.

F. R. CHESTER DISPLAY TABLE Nov. 1, 1932.

Filed Jan. 20 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOI.

741 44 69 *o/azzm ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 1, 1932. F. R. ER 1,885,801

DI S PLAY TABLE Filed Jan. 20. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I a I? /5.

INVENTOR- A TTORN EY S.

' Patented Nov. .1, 1 932 FRANK' R; CHESTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,'ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE A$SIGNMENTS, T0 CHESTERFIELD CONTROL COMPANY, OF DOVER, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA ARE 7 7 DISPLAY TABLE Application filed January 20, 1927. Serial No. 162,334.

windows or in other desirable locations for.

exhibiting goods, and which apparatus may be actuated in a numberof different manners to produce different efl'ects for the attractive displaying of articles'and merchandise.

Astill further object is that of furnishing a display apparatus of this character the parts of which will be so constructed and arranged that the weight of the merchandise may be disposed off-center on the turntable or deck without a detrimental result to the functioning or wearing of the mechanism,

and in which, furthermore, the driving power transmitted to the turn-table or deck-portion of the apparatus will be in proportion to the amount of load thereon; and also which, if an obstacle should be placed in the path of travel of the deck or table-portion or the merchandise supported thereby, resulting in a cessation of operation of this part of the mechanism despite the continued actuation of the driving mechanism this'will not result in the mechanism becoming injured. I

Another object of the invention is that of providing a turn-table display apparatus which may be operated optionally either to turn continuously or intermittently.

Still another object is that-of constructing a device of this character in which, when the supporting deck or table-portion thereof-is turned intermittently, the period of such.

turning may be relatively short and the period of fixed display relatively long, and in which, furthermore, if desired, during such period ofdisplay the deck or table-portion of the apparatus and the merchandise supported thereon will be visible, while during the periods of turning orshifti'ng such parts will not be exhibited.

An additionalobject isthatof furnishinga I turn-table type of display apparatus in'which a side display may be provided, which is va ried or shiftedconveniently during the operation of the apparatus.

A-still further object is that of providing an apparatus the parts of which will be relatively few in number and individually rugged and simple in construction to produce an apparatus by means of which several or all of the foregoing objects may be achieved, and which will operate over long periods of time with freedom from mechanical diiii culty.

Other objects ofthe invention will in part i be obvious and will. in part appear hereinafter. I For afuller understanding of the'nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of display apparatus embodying the subject matter of the present'invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof taken along the lines 22 and in the direction of the arrows of Fig. 1, and showing certain of the parts broken away to disclose thelunderlying construction v Fig. 3 is a partly sectional'plan view taken arrows of Fig. -1; v

along the lines 3-3 and'in the direction of the Fig.4 is a bottom plan view of the turntable or deck ofthe apparatus and showing a construction which may be utilizedin connection therewith; p I Fi 5 isan enlarged sectional view of the parts as shown inFig. 4:;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1', showing theapparatus from the opposite side, and also showing a movable side; display apparatus in association therewith; V v

Fig. 7 is a plan view taken along the lines 7- 7 of Fig. 6, and also showing an optional form ofconstruction; i

Fig. 8 illustrates a control cam which may be substituted for certain of the mechanism illustrated in the preceding views;

Fig. 9 isa view similartoiFi s. 1 and 6,

but showing a slightly different formof apparatus and Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view taken along the lines 1( )10 and in the direction of the arrows of Fig. 9. a

A machine of this character. has a base preferably including legs supporting cross in order to yiel-dingly support the'motor;

this structure also acting as a tightener for a belt 21 extending around the shaft. The

bracket is extended as at 22 and is provided with bearingsto rotatably support a .shaft 23 which is connected with the motor in the embodiment illustrated by means of a pulley 24, around'which the belt'21 passes. V

' As in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, the p0rtion22 of the bracket mounts a vertically-extending countershaft 25, and the shaft 23 carriesa worm -26'meshing with a worm wheel 27 secured to theshaft 25. As a consequence, when the motor is operated the countershaft will be rotated; it being obvious that the intervening mechanism constitutes a reduction'drive; The cross arms 16 at their point of juncture rotatably mount a shaft 28, to

which a suitable turn-table ordeck'29 is secured, the latter in turn being connected with the upper member 30 of a friction mechanism preferably by means of a series of posts 31 arranged equi-distant from each other and from the axis of the shaft'28. The friction disk 30 rests upon a friction disk 32 rotatably encircling the shaft 28 and the lower friction member being anti-frictionally supported upon the frame by means of suitable bearings 32'. i

Now with I 25 with the turn-table or deck 29 in order to transmit the rotation of the formerto the latter a pinion 33 is secured to the upper end of the shaft 25 which extends through an opening in one of the cross arms and mounts such pinion at its upper end. The outer edge of the lower friction member or disk 32 is provided with teeth 34. corresponding to the teeth of the pinion 33 and meshing therewith, as a consequence of which, when the shaft 25 rotates, the lower friction member 32 will rotate to move correspondingly the upper friction member 30 of the turn-table supported thereby; it being'appreciated that the intimacy of contact between the members of the friction-connectin element will be proportional to the load supported by the turntable, and that, in any event, the turn-table may be restrained against movement despite the continued movement of' the member 32 without any, damage resulting to the parts. In order periodically to interrupt the move a View to connectingthe shaft ber 36 is slidably mounted above the upper face of the cross arm which provides abearing for the countershaft 25 by means of a stud 37 v and the upper end of suchlatter shaft. The end of this pawl; is urgedinto contact with the periphery of the disk'30 by means of a spring 38 bearing against its outer end, and it will thus be obvious that the pawl in its normal position (i. e., projected) will tend to extend within one of the notches "of the upper friction member and prevent a rotation of this member, and, consequently, a rotation of the turn-tablef, In order to effect a retraction of the pawl the latter car ries a roller39 upon its under face at a p'oint adjacent the shaft 25, andthe pinion 33 carries upon'its upper face a pin 40, the path of travelof which is normally intersected by'the rollerx Consequently, the latter will act as a cam uponthe pin coming into contact with its perip'heryin order to effect a retraction of the'pawl, thus releasing the restraining influence exerted upon the upper friction member and permit the latter to turn with the lower friction member; After'the pawl has been retracted and the pin 40 has cleared the roller-cam, the pawl, under the influence of the spring 38, will move forward until its forward edge engages the smooth periphery of the upper'friction member 30,

' riding along thisedge until the nest consecutive notch or recess aligns with the pawl end, whereupon the :latter wlll snap lnto this'depression and restrain the upper frlction member and turn-table against further movement rotate continuously. With this in mind, the

spring 38 mayencircle a rod41, the inner end of which 1s screw-'thr-eadedas at 42 and engages a correspondingly-threaded recess or .bore formedin'the stud 37, and the rod ongaging a pin- 41" lying adjacent the rear downturned outer endof the pawl, The rear 1 or'outer end of the rod'may be bent to. provide a crank-portion l3, and, this rod may passthrough a bracket 44 against whichthe rear end of the spring'38 bears. At this time it willalso be noted, as in Fig. 2, that the connection between the pawl 36' and the stud 37 is'in the nature-ofa pin-and-slot connection, obviouslyto allow'for'the periodic retraction of the pawl. However, if the rod 41' is turned to retract with respect to the stud 37 the pin supported by the frame will come into contact with the rear end of the pawl and draw the latterbodily rearwardly against the inward thrust of the spring 38 and to a position at which the inner end of the pawl will at all times clear the periphery of the upper portion of the friction member. Thus there will be no interference on the part of the'apparatus to the turning of this friction member, and, as a consequence, the turn-tablewill move continuously. If it is again desired to have an intermittent operation rather than continuous, this may be achieved readily simply by rotating the rod ll to again disengage the pin ll from the pawl to permit the latter again to engage V the periphery of the upper member 30 of the friction drivef and enter the notches or recesses formed in such periphery when the same are aligned with the pawl.

In certain instances it may be desirable to illuminate the turn-table or deck and the merchandise displayed thereon, and in order toachieve this result, as has been shown in Figs. 1, l and 5, there is aiiixed to the base of the turn-table a ring of insulating material carrying contact strips connected with illuminating elements, such as electric bulbs 46 mounted by the turn-table or deck. These contact strips, in the embodiment illustrated, include 'arcuate segments concentrically disposed. with respect to each other, as at 47, and the base of the machine mounts brush members 48 of a width suiiicient to bridge the spaces extant between the adiae cent ends of the se ments. As has also been shown in these views, the pawl member 36 mounts a pair of brushes 49, which, in comparison with the brushes 48, are relatively narrow and of insuilicient width to bridge the spaces above noted. "The brushes mounted by the pawl member move as a unit thercwith, and when the pawl is projected, they contact one with each of a pair of the arcuate segments. It is here to be understood that the wiring diagram involving the leads eX tending from a source of current supply to the pairs'of brushes 48 or 49 has not been shown, nor has the wiring from the arcuate segments to the bulb members been shown, thus avoiding undue illustration of an elementary and read ly understandable feature. Suffice it to say that the bulbs corrc spond innumber, singly or in groups, to the number of pairs of contact segments or strips, and that the latter preferably, as shown, are not continuous to afford constant illumination. As a consequence, it will be understood that with the current flowing to the brushes 49, and with the pawl projected, the corresponding light or group of lights is energized. Instantly upon the pawl being retracted the circuit will be broken, and the turn-table will revolve in darkness; the

reestablishment of illumination occurring only after the pawl has been again projected. If under continued rotation of the turn-table it is desired to have constant illumination, and consecutively show portions thereof which are being displayed, this may be readprior to the interruption of the circuit governing the illumination of the preceding bulb or group of bulbs, so that substantially constant illumination will follow.

T If, as in Figs. 6 and 7, it is desiredto pro vide a movable background member, this may be accomplished, for example,by. se-

curin a bracket 50 to one of the sup Jortin 33 A. b

legs l5 of the frame, this bracket mounting a post 51 having notches in'its lower end and which. post is rotatable with respect thereto, and at the base of which a roller 52 may be arranged to bear against afined por tion of the bracket so that, while the post may rotate with respect to the latter, it will normally maintain its position due'to the deterring influence of the pin and notches. Secured to the post 51 is an annular ratchet member 53, and this post mounts a lever 5 l carrying at its outer end a pawl member selectively engaging one of the teeth of the ratchet; A link 55 connects one of the ends of the lever he with a lever '56'supported rotatably around the shaft 28. This lever-has a contact portion 57 engageable with a finger 58 secured to the countershaft 25. A spring 59 may encircle the shaft 28 and have one of its ends attached'to the bracketportion 22, its opposite end being connected with the contact-portion 5'1 As a consequence, the parts will normally tend to assume the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7, but upon the corintershaft 25 rotating,the lever 56 will he rocked against the spring 59, resulting in the lever e l being correspondingly moved and the pawl having lost motion with the ratchet and engaging a subsequent tooth of the annular ratchethl, and the latter, to gether with the post 51, will be moved, thus shifting a scenic mounting member 60 secured to this post. At this time it will also be noted that the mechanism maybe extended as at 60' and duplicated so that shifters are provided at opposite sides of the apparatus.

By means of a construction such as has been shown in this figure, an effect may be producer similar to the effect achieved by having the cessation of illumination as aforedescribed, and which, in fact, maybe utilized in conjunction therewithf Thus, by eliminating the pawl-and-ratc'het mechanism shown in this figure, and connecting the link with a lever 54 which is secured to a post 51', a periodic oscillation of the post will follow, which may be timed to. occur during the period of shifting of the table; and by having a panel secured tothis post,.this panel temporarily may obscure the turn-table from view during such period of shifting; it being obvious that this structure as has been indicated in Fig. 7may be duplicated at both sides of the apparatus.

In certain instances it mayoccur that the t'lirn-table is to be mounted in other than a horizontal plane, and, as a consequence, (gravity not acting) the benefit of the frictional contact between the members 30-32 will be largely, if not completely, lost. In order to overcome this difficulty a spring 61 may be disposed between the bracket and the lower end of the shaft 28, which latter, being connected with the turn-table,'and thus to the upper friction member, will draw the-latter into sufiiciently intimate contact with the lower friction member to assure a rotation of the turn-table.

If for certain reasons it is desired not to utilize the pawl 36, a satisfactory substitute therefor may be provided by mounting upon the upper end of the shaft 25 a cam 62 of the nature shown in Fig. 8, which cam will lie in the plane of the posts 31. It is obvious that under conditions of operation which would then exist the turn-table is tending to turn, but is normally prevented incident to the sliding contact which will exist between the periphery of the cam and one of the posts. iowever, upon the reduced portion 62 of the cam reaching a point adjacent this post, the

atter may slide into this notch, the movement of the parts being so timed that the next succeeding post will engage the periphery of the cam after the turn-table has turned to the extent desired, thus preventing a further movement of the latter until the notched or reduced portion of the cam again. reaches a point adjacent such post; it being thus understood that a satisfactory intermittent motion of the turn-table will result, and that if it is desired to effectv a continuous rotation, his may be achieved readily simply by dismounting the cam so that all restraining influence of the movement of the turn-table is removed.

, Ifas in Figs. 9 and 1()it is desired to simplify the mechanism further, this may be accomplished, for example, by having the worm-portion 26 of the pawl shaft engage directly with a worm wheel 63 secured to a shaft 28, and also mounting upon this shaft :1 can; 6 1- having any desirable number of extensions 65. The pawl member 36 will in this instance mount a roller 66 adjacent its forward end, which roller will lie in the plane of the cam 64 and be engageable with theoutstanding portion 65 thereof; the innerend of the pawlas in the case in Figs. 1, 2 and 6- being projectable into the recesses35 of the upper friction member 30; it being understood that, the cam, member 64; provides a lower friction member corresponding in function to the lower friction member 32 of the apparatus shown in these preceding views. The functioning of the apparatus shown in Figs. 9 and 10 will be obvious in that, with the motor operating, the shaft 23 will be revolved to rotate correspondingly the post 28, which will positively move the lower friction memher, i. e., the cam 64. This will result in a tendency of the upper-friction member 30 and the turn-table supported thereby to rotate 7 correspondin ly. Such rotation will be periodically prevented incident to thee-ngagement of the pawl 36 with one of the notches 35 of the upper friction member. A retraction of thepawl follows, for the reason that the projecting portions 65 of the cam will engage the: roller 66 to achieve this'result, and when so retracted the upper friction member and turn-table will move with the lower, friction member, while the forward end of therpa wlrides against the periphery of the upper friction member until thepawl again projects into the next succeeding notch. Also, in this form of apparatus, continuous rotation of the parts may be effected simply by rotating the rod 41, as has been described in the preceding forms, in order to effect a permanent retraction of the pawl member 86.

From the foregoing it will be understood that by means of the present invention a turntable display apparatus is presented which maybe continuously'or intermittently operated, as desired, and in which, irrespective of its mode of operation, a safety factor will be presented, for the reason that the turntable or the goods displayed thereon may engage with. an object accidentaly impeding their movement without resulting in injury to the apparatus, Furthermore, visual effects are achieved by means of this invention, which effects are highly desirable. It has been found also that by the use of a friction-member and by suporting the parts in the manner herein suggested, the apparatus possesses such inherent stability that the weight of the objects displayed may be positioned offeenterwithout resulting in a stoppage of operation or injury to the mechanism. A minimum of power may be employed for driving the apparatus even under comparatively large loads; and

certain changes may be made in the above construction, and different embodiments of the invention could be made, without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the follow ing claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A display device, including a turn-table, driving means, a two-part friction connection having one of its elements associated with said driving means, the second element thereof being associated with said turn-table whereby the latter will move when said driving means is operated, and means acting to prevent movement of said turn-table during the continued operation of said driving means, the parts of said friction connection moving in contact and with respect to each other during such latter conditions of operation.

2. A display apparatus, including a turntable, driving means, a two-part friction clutch, one of the parts of which is associated with said turn-table, the other being associated with said driving means, and means cooperating with the first-named part of said clutch to interrupt continued movements of said turn-table.

3. A display device, including a turn-table, driving means therefor, a plurality of illuminating means associated with said turn-table, means operating periodically to interrupt the movement of said turn-table, means for energizing said illuminating means, and means for rendering said illuminating means inoperative while said turn-table moves, succesive portions of said illuminating means being rendered operative and inoperative between the steps of such movement.

4-. A display apparatus, including a turntable, a two-part friction connecting member having one of its elements associated with said turn-table, a frame supporting the other element thereof, driving means connected with said latter element whereby to move said turn-table, and means cooperating with the first-named element to periodically interrupt the movement thereof during the continued cooperation of the parts of said friction connecting member.

5. A display apparatus, including, in combination, a turn-table, means for intermittently moving the same, a panel, means movably mounting said panel, and means connecting said mounting means with said turntable-moving means to move said panel to turn-table-obscuring position during the movements of the latter. I

6. A turn table including a rotatable platform, a friction element'secured thereto, a second friction element engaging said first named element, means for positively driving said last named element with the face thereof in continuous contact with the face of said first named element, and means operated by said driving means and cooperating with said first named element to periodically interrupt the movements thereof.

'7. A turn table including'a rotatable platform, a'friction elementsecured thereto, a second friction element engaging said first named element, means for positively driving said last named element with the face thereof in continuous contact with the face of said first named element, and means operated by said drivingmeans and cooperating with said first named element to periodically interrupt the movements thereof, and means accessible to an operator during the operation of said platform to render said last named means inoperative whereby'a continuous rotation of said first named element and platform will result. V r

8. A turn table including a platform, a friction disk mounting the same, .a'second friction disk having its face in contact with said first named disk, means for continuously driving of said last named disk, said first named disk being formed with a series of recesses, and means operated by said driving means and projectable into said. recesses to periodically interrupt the movements of said first named disk.

9. A turn table including a platform, a friction disklmounting the same, a second frictiondisk having .its face in contact with said first named disk, means for continuousl'y driving of said last named disk, said first named disk being formed with a series of recesses, means operated by said driving means and projectable into said recessesto periodically interrupt the movements of said first named disk, and means co-acting with said interrupting means to render the same inoperative whereby said disk under the influence of said driving means will rotate continuously. i i v 10. A turn table including a platform, a friction disk secured "thereto and formed with notches in. its periphery, a locking dog riding against the periphery of said disk and 11. A turn table including a platform, a

friction disk secured thereto and formed with notches in its periphery, a locking dog riding against the periphery of said disk and entering said notches to prevent a movement of said disk, a second disk in continuous contact with said first named disk, means for driving said second disk, means for periodically retracting said dog from said notches to permit said first named disk to move intermittently, and a controlling member available to an operator during the continued movements of said first named disk and platform and connected to said locking dog to wholly retract and maintain the same at-a point beyond that at which it operatively co-acts with the disk whereby said disk and the platform supported thereby will move continuously.

12. A turn table including a platform, a friction disk secured thereto and formed with a series of notches, a second friction disk in continuous contact with, the face of said first named disk, a shaft, means for continuously rotating said shaft, means carried by said shaft to continuously drive said last named disk, a spring pressed locking dog for entering into said notches to periodically prevent rotation of said first named disk and platform, and means carried, by said shaft and cooperating with said dog to periodically retract the same and permit continued rotation of said first named disk and platform.

13. A turn table including a platform, a friction disk secured thereto and formed with a series of notches, a second friction disk in continuous contact with the face of said first named disk, a shaft, means for continuously rotating said shaft, means carried by said shaft to continuously drive said last named disk, a spring pressed locking dog for entering into said notches to periodically prevent rotation of said first named disk and platform, means carried by said shaft and cooperating with said dog to periodically retract the same and permit continued rotation of said first named disk and platform, and an operating member coupled to said dog, said operating member being accessible during the continued operation of said turn table and acting to retract said dog to a position at which it will not operatively co-act with said disk. a

In testimony whereof I =afiix my signature.

FRANK R. CHESTER. 

